Crossing the Line
by loverofallthingschocolate
Summary: Carrying her home? Fine. Coming inside her apartment for some dango? Fine. But kissing her on the lips as he was leaving and then running away and repeatedly hitting his head against the wall of his apartment? Not so fine. KakaSaku other pairings inside
1. Chapter 1

**Crossing the Line**

**A/N: I'm back! I've got such great support and response for my two one-shots that I've decided to do a continuation of sorts. "Crossing the Line" will be the sequel to "Up There" and the prequel to "A Shriek of Joy". Basically, this takes place from when Kakashi and Sakura realize their love for each other (though it remains unspoken) until they get married and raise a family.**

**Because it takes place in the future, there will be some OCs so that everyone can be in a relationship (I didn't have the heart to leave anyone out…). THIS WILL CONTAIN MANGA SPOILERS. I'm not going to change the pairings because I've already chosen what their families will be like. **

**Pairings and Rankings:**

**KakaSaku ( ANBU/ Jounin and Medic)**

**NaruHina (ANBU/ Jounin-sensei)**

**NejiTen (ANBU/ANBU)**

**LeeUme (ANBU/Civilian OC)**

**ShikaTema (ANBU/Jounin)**

**ChoIno (Jounin/ Jounin and Medic)**

**GaaraMatsuri (Kazekage/ Chuunin)**

**KibaHanabi (Jounin/Chunnin)**

**ShinoSora (ANBU/Civilian OC)**

**AsuKur (IMPLIED)**

**IrukaAyame (Chuunin/Ramen Girl)**

**Others may appear**

**Sorry this was such a long note—the others won't be as long. This is my first story so it was a lot more intricate than my one-shots. I actually had to plan this out—normally I just write and hope I like where it goes.**

**This is dedicated to an awesome reviewer: BalladForDeadMemories**

**Disclaimer: If I owned Naruto, do you think you could read this for free?**

_**Chapter 1: The Start of Something New**_

BANG. BANG. BANG. Kakashi growled to himself—carrying her home? Fine. Coming inside her apartment for some dango? Fine. Having some wine? Fine. Talking about the past— _his _past? Even that was fine. But kissing her on the lips as he was leaving and then running away and repeatedly hitting his head against the wall of his apartment? Not so fine.

The Great Copy Ninja was afraid—of a 5'5 pink-haired woman.

It wasn't that he was afraid of her reaction—quite the opposite. She, from the looks of it, thoroughly enjoyed the kiss—kissing with a passion that he didn't know she possessed. And when it ended, she stood there—panting slightly—and with glazed eyes and a breathless voice, stuttered his name with an emotion that he couldn't quite recognize.

It was his fault—sure he could blame it on the alcohol, but he knew he was ultimately responsible. He became comfortable and forgot to edit his thoughts before he turned them into words—and actions. One comment and all the distance and the friend-only boundaries he had tried to put into place, crumbled.

Clutching his bruised and throbbing forehead, he slid to the floor. Kakashi glared at his forehead protector with mismatched eyes—like it was responsible for the headache he now had. It lay dejectedly across the room, unaware of its owner's heated glare. With a frustrated sigh, he balled his calloused hands into fists and slammed them backwards into the wall he was leaning against half-heartedly.

Mismatched eyes redirected their glare at the too white—hospital white—ceiling, as he tried to figure out how a friendly evening turned into something much more…

"_Sakura, you haven't been left behind. It's not like everyone is married!"_

_Sakura took a hefty swallow of wine, "You're right. Only Naruto and Hinata, Neji and TenTen, Chouji and Ino, and Shikamaru and Temari are married."_

"_No need to be sarcastic, Sakura. And besides, Lee and Shino aren't married…"_

"_Lee is on a honeymoon with that civilian girl he married…Ume I think her name was?"_

"_Oh, right! I'm surprised that that clone of Gai could actually get that pretty of a girl."_

_Sakura scowled._

"_And Shino was planning on proposing tonight—but there is no doubt that Sora will say yes—they definitely love each other, even if they are shyer at showing it than other people."_

"_Sora?"_

"_She's a civilian—she runs the green house where I go to get my herbs when I need them for antidotes—I actually introduced them!" Her tone revealed a tinge of pride._

_However, that happiness didn't last more than a millisecond—Sakura dropped back into sulking._

_Kakashi sighed. He hated it when she was like this—her smile was so much prettier, though she was beautiful anytime. No one could hold a candle to her in any way, shape, or form—NO. He needed to keep his mind from wandering—it had bad consequences._

"_Well, what about Kiba? I'm positive that he isn't married or planning some engagement. You could both get together and throw a "Single's Awareness Day" Party—though you could call it a S.A.D. Party for short." Kakashi's eye twinkled at her reaction._

_She sent a scathing glare his direction. The plant beside him withered._

_She huffed, "For your information, he isn't single—he's dating Hinata's little sister, Hanabi—she's a chuunin._

"_Isn't she just sixteen?"_

_Sakura bridled at Kakashi's remark. "I'm only a little more than four years older than her, Kakashi!"_

_He quickly recognized his mistake—time for damage control._

"_Of course, Sakura-chan! But her father probably won't allow it..."_

_"Actually, Hiashi is allowing her to date Kiba—mainly because he allowed both Hinata and Neji to marry outside of the clan. It's against traditions, sure—but times are changing for the better. Did you know that they are forbidding the sealing of the branch members? Heck, Neji—who is a branch member—is going to be clan head because both Hinata and Hanabi refused to receive the title. They are both happy with where they are in life—and Neji would be a better leader than they would. At least, that's what they told me at lunch a couple of weeks ago. I am really surprised that Hanabi didn't want the title, though—but I think Kiba has something to do with it. Because of him, she's more grounded—and she isn't the brat that she used to be…that's probably why her father is allowing them to date. He's had a positive impact—just like Naruto and TenTen have had on Hinata and Neji. Although, I doubt her father would admit to anything besides doing it to strengthen clan alliances."_

_Sakura sighed again. "I'm the only one not in a relationship—I'm beginning to think something's wrong with me…"_

_Without thinking, Kakashi blurted—"Nothing's wrong with you, I think you are perfect—and besides, you have me."_

_Kakashi immediately stiffened. With an internal grimace, he realized that he had crossed the line. They had never thought about—well, spoken about—what they meant to each other. Unintentionally, he brought about a topic that, most likely, would end up with someone being hurt._

_Sure, he thought that she had feelings for him—the current look that she had in her eyes... the longing for _him—_but he couldn't be sure. As for himself, he knew his feelings were more than lust—but anything beyond that was out of his understanding. Sure, he loved his Nin Dogs and his village, but this was different. Therefore, he decided to treat this "illness" like he had all others—ignore it in the hopes that it will go away. However, like most problems he ever had in life—they didn't, they just become worse._

_And them came the dreaded question, "Kakashi, what are we exactly?"_

_Kakashi took a deep breath—time to practice one of the most used shinobi arts…lying through your teeth._

"_Friends…unless I am too old for you, Sakura-chan?"_

_He secretly prayed that he wasn't—he is only 34…and she is 20, turning 21 in a few months. He almost breathed a sigh of relief when he realized that his fears were unnecessary. He saw her eyes dim and her expression waver—if only for a second. She wanted more too. She wanted him as he wanted her._

_Internally, Kakashi berated himself; he didn't want to see her like this. He wanted to tell her that he felt something for her—more than just friendship and it is because of that that he lied. But she is too good for him. Yes. It is better for her to be hurt now than to be hurt more later, but—_

"_Kakashi, are you afraid of love or afraid of having it, then losing it?" Her eyes brimmed with tears._

_It was time to go. And fast._

"_I should be leaving, thanks for inviting me inside. The dango was great."_

_He got up from his spot on the couch and didn't look back. Two more feet and he'd reach the door—a few more seconds before he wouldn't be tempted to tell Sakura what he wanted them to be—_

_A small hand encircled his wrist. He looked away._

"_I understand, Kakashi. Sorry for causing you trouble…"_

_All his resolve broke when he heard her apologize. Trouble! When was she ever trouble? And why was she the one apologizing—when he was the one hurting the both of them? He wasn't worth her tears._

_Without another thought, one hand grabbed her waist, while the other jerked down his mask._

Stupid. Stupid. Stupid. Kakashi resumed banging his head against the wall. How come he couldn't let go—and how come he ran home to hide away like a coward?

While the rational part of himself shouted obscenities inside of his head about how irresponsibly he behaved, another part of him, the part that before Sakura that had laid dormant, could only think about the feel of her skin, the smell of her hair, and the softness of her pink lips.

With every minute, his rational part was dying. What did he want—that was easy. What was he going to do about it, on the other hand, wasn't so easy.

His musings were interrupted by a soft, but persistent knocking on his apartment door. And based on the chakra signal, it was Sakura.

**Sorry this took so long—my computer's internet isn't working. I have to write chapters on my laptop, then when no one is around…re-type it on my parent's computer and save it. Then I transfer is to and delete it off of the computer. So please, bear with me on the updates until my computer gets fixed!!! I think I can get a chapter a week. It depends—pray for me XD**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Alright! Chapter two is up! ****I'd like to thank all of the awesome people who reviewed! This chapter is dedicated to all you wonderful and encouraging people—you give me the motivation and energy to write more! **

**Disclaimer: I've never been to Japan before—****that****'s a clue for you.**

**_Chapter 2: Advice_**

Kakashi quickly thought through all of the possible scenerios. He could pretend to not be home—in which she would know that he was lying and promptly break down his door—which would result in costly fines; he could actually _leave—_but then his door would still be knocked down, and Sakura would just follow him—but that would result in a public spectacle; he could answer the door and pretend nothing happened—not very convincingly, however, considering he was as pale as a ghost and breathing heavily—but it seemed like the best option.

Mind made up, Kakashi put on his best not-a-care-in-the-world face, and swung open the door to reveal a breathless and red-eyed Sakura.

"Good evening, Sakura. What brings you here?"

He was giving her an out—they could both pretend that he hadn't kissed her, and that she hadn't kissed back. They could both pretend that they didn't want each other and go about their lives as just friends. He wasn't sure if he wanted her to take the out or not; either way, after what he put her through, she deserved to choose. If she wanted to leave, he'd let her go. If she wanted to stay, well, then they would need to have a serious talk.

"Cut the crap, Kakashi. You can't just kiss me, then—what happened to your head?"

Damn. He forgot about the head-banging incident he had had moments before—maybe his injuries caused him temporary insanity. Maybe that's why he didn't just leave his apartment and let his stupid door get broken.

"And where is your forehead protector?"

Oops.

Kakashi opened his mouth with the intent of making up an excuse, but Sakura immediately switched to medic-mode—pushing her away inside and pulling him towards the kitchen, closing the door with her foot.

"Sit on the table so I can look at your head."

Kakashi, knowing that tone, sat down obediently and stayed quiet why Sakura worked on his forehead. After a few moments, she withdrew her hand and glared at him.

"What did you do, bang your head against the wall repeatedly?"

Something on his face must have given him away, for her eyes widened noticeably before she left to go back in the living room.

Retrieving his forehead protector from the floor, he tried to think of an excuse for his actions—all of them—but Sakura beat him to the chase.

"Don't even try lying to me. Just answer me this, do you regret kissing me—forget what society would say, or what people would say. Forget your own insecurities and confused feelings—forget all of it and answer me. If you had to do it all over again, would you still kiss me?"

Kakashi's eye widened—it still amazed him how perceptive she has become. Lying obviously didn't work—it hurt both of them. Maybe it was time to tell the truth.

"Yes."

Sakura's viridian eyes glistened with unshed tears, and a small smile lit her face. Clearing her throat, she regained her voice, "One more question. After you answer, I'll leave you alone if you want me to…but you have to answer honestly. Deal?"

Kakashi decided that his rational part had abandoned him—and he decided that he didn't regret losing it. He had a chance at happiness, and he was going to take it--stupid and irresponsible as it may be. He was in far to deep to let go—he was sure of her feelings, and his—he wasn't about to let her walk out. It would hurt him to much…and from the look on her face, it would hurt her just as much.

"I'll answer anything for you, Sakura."

Sakura took a step closer. "Do you love me, Kakashi?"

His breath hitched. He's was an ANBU captain—he has completed the most assignations in Konoha history—so surely he can tell a woman that he loves her.

Steeling himself, Kakashi took a deep breath. "More than anything."

Sakura inched forward, and in a husky voice, whispered—"I'm glad the feeling is mutual."

And then, they kissed.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Kakashi rolled over and hit his alarm with his fist—and heard a sickening crunch.

Damn it. That's the third one he's broke this month, he thought wearily.

Rubbing his mismatched eyes, he froze, remembering last night's events.

He couldn't sleep—he had things to do, and a certain Hokage-in-training to pay a visit to.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

"So, let me get this straight.." Naruto said between mouthfuls of homemade ramen.

"You carried her home, kissed her, ran away, and kissed her again, correct?"

"In a nutshell, yes." Kakashi looked lazily up at the ceiling, sipping at some coffee.

"And then, you both decided to try a relationship out and then you asked her out on a date for tonight, right?"

"Yes." Kakashi sighed, he felt awkward and out of place by coming here to get advice—_dating _advice—from _Naruto._ Well, he _had_ managed to get married to someone as sweet as Hinata—and somehow managed to get the Hyuuga clan to tolerate it.

Hinata refilled Naruto's bowl with glowing smile—Naruto gave a fox-like grin in response.

Newlyweds.

"Kakashi-san, would you like some ramen? Or, if you don't want that, we have other food—

"No thank you, Hinata. I already ate—though it smells delicious. Naruto always praises your food."

Hinata blushed prettily—Kakashi found it amusing that even after two years of dating and three months of marriage, the thought of Naruto still made her blush. Though, he hasn't heard her stutter since she started dating Naruto—with a soft smile, he thought that confidence suited her.

Hinata busied herself in the kitchen, and Naruto dove into his fourth bowl while Kakashi thought of how to phrase his next question.

Clearing his throat, Kakashi felt a pair of azure eyes focus on him—and barely noticed that Hinata had stepped out of the room—most likely to subtly give them some privacy.

"Naruto, I—

Naruto grinned. "Don't worry, Kakashi. It doesn't bother me about you and Sakura-chan. I'm glad you have each other now. You were both alone, and now you aren't. I was really worried about Sakura—having Sasuke-teme take control of the Sound Village and marry that Karin girl. She was heartbroken—but she's over him now. That was three years ago."

Kakashi sighed and strengthened his hold on the counter—vaguely, he realized he could hear the wood splintering. Sasuke's betrayal was all his fault--he was his teacher and he didn't see it coming. Heck, he's the one who taught him the Chidori--the technique that almost killed Naruto. Kakashi knew it was painful for Naruto to talk about Sasuke—in Naruto's eyes, Sasuke is…and will forever be…his best friend. With Naruto on the road to being Hokage, and Sasuke leading a hostile village—he knew that Naruto was stressed. But, being Naruto, he wouldn't show it. And Kakashi was grateful.

"Kakashi?"

"What is it, Naruto?"

Naruto scratched his cheek, "You kind of zoned out on me for a second!"

He needed to remember to contemplate life when he wasn't supposed to be involved in a conversation.

"Sorry, what did you say again?"

Naruto took on a more solemn expression, "I was just saying that on top of Sasuke-teme, Sakura had to deal with the loss of her parents. It was only two years ago that the ANBU team found their bodies in that river. I'm surprised she managed so well…though she did disappear for a week…"

Naruto cast a quick glance at Kakashi.

Kakashi grimaced—were his students becoming more perceptive, or was he becoming more obvious?

He wasn't about to tell Naruto what happened that night two years ago. That was Sakura's story to tell. It was that night—that week, really—that he realized he felt something more for Sakura than he should. And maybe, it was the same for Sakura…

_Kakashi__ groaned and got out of bed. Who the hell came by his apartment at 2:30 in the __morning?_

_Without even bothering to put a shirt on, he sluggishly made his way to the door__ Scratching his head, he opened the door—and froze at what he saw._

_Arms wrapped around her, Sakura lifted her tear-soaked face to look at him. Blood-shot eyes stared __into his own__. In a flash, she barreled into his bare chest, sobbing uncontrollably. On instinct he wrapped his arms around her, pulling the freezing, eighteen-year-old __kunoichi__ inside and closing to door._

_Finding his voice, __Kakashi__ choked out, "Sakura, what happened? Why are you crying? What can I do?"_

_For the first time in his life, The Copy Ninja felt completely helpless. _

_"M-my p-p-parent s were f-found…"_

_Sobbing even harder, Sakura clung onto __Kakashi__ for dear life—burying her face in his warm chest._

_Without asking, __Kakashi__ knew what had happened. Her parents never came back from their mission and ANBU were sent to look for them—but suspected the worst. __Sakura,__ hadn't. All he could__ do for her __now__ was __hold__ her. And that's what he did._

Kakashi shook his head, he didn't want to think about Sakura like that—broken and desperate. She had moved on—from her parent's death and Sasuke. No need to bring up her past when she was clearly trying become stronger from it—something he wished he could do. He wished he could let go—maybe Sakura was right…Obito, Rin, and Arashi would want that. They would want him to be happy. So he would try.

"Kakashi—that week no one saw you either. Did Sakura-chan stay with you? What happened?"

Naruto leaned forward; eyes squinted, as if daring Kakashi to lie.

"That's something you need to ask Sakura about, Naruto."

Naruto looked crestfallen—but only for a moment. A smile immediately reappeared on his face.

"Alright, I'll ask Sakura-chan! Believe it!"

Kakashi chuckled at Naruto's antics—at twenty-one Naruto was still a child at heart. Some things would never change.

"Naruto, what I really came here for was to get advice for my date with Sakura—I haven't dated in years, and I'm a little out of practice. And I know that you took Hinata on, surprisingly, very nice dates."

"Sure—wait, what do you mean 'surprisingly'? I can be romantic if I want to be!"

"Sorry, it just still surprises me that you didn't just take her to get ramen."

Naruto huffed.

"Well, since you apologized and Sakura-chan deserves to be treated nice, I'll give you some tips!"

Grabbing Kakashi by the vest, Naruto pulled Kakashi under the counter—accidently knocked over the stools they were sitting on.

Hinata rushed into the room, wide-eyed and in a panic-striken voice, "What happened, Naruto-kun…Kakashi-san?"

Naruto jumped up.

"Hinata-chan! You can't be here! Kakashi and I are having a secret meeting about Kakashi's date with Sakura! Guys only—you're a girl so you'll tell Sakura-chan our secrets!"

Hinata giggled and with a smile on her face, left the room.

Under the counter, Kakashi rolled his eyes. He wondered how sweet, innocent, and quiet Hinata fell for someone like _Naruto_. Well, they say love is blind—or maybe in this case, deaf.

Eyes squinted and his conspiring voice in place, Naruto got back under the counter. Putting his hand to Kakashi' ear, he whispered, "Alright, this is what you do…"

**There you go! Chapter 2! I hope to have the next chapter up in a few days! My computer is working again XD . YAY! Please review!**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: ****As**** always, I've got great ****reviews (****all of you rock)! Reviewing makes me want to write better and at a faster pace—so it's because of you that I manage to do a chapter a day! I hope that you like this next ****chapter;**** this is the beginning of a lot of twists—and future fighting scenes. Enjoy! There are little lines on this document--and I don't know how to get rid of it. The "XXXXX" indicate a change in scene or time--ignore anything else!**

**Disclaimer: If I owned ****Naruto****, I would be in it. Have you ever seen a character named "Katie" before? Nope. Neither have I.**

* * *

Why had Naruto pulled him under the counter—in a very uncomfortable position—for _that_? It wasn't a secret! All Naruto said to do was bring flowers, make reservations, and act like a gentleman. He knew that. What he was looking for was suggestions—places to go, conversation starters. 

Kakashi sighed, that's what he gets for going to Naruto for advice. On the brightside, Kakashi noted, it was betting than asking other people. Genma would suggest a strip bar and "tutoring", Gai would suggest bringing her a gift like a green spandex suit, and Iruka would just suggest asking Sakura—if he did that, Sakura might think that he _is _too old for her, and cancel the date.

Naruto's advice—though simple and presented in an idiotic way—had some merit. None of Naruto's suggestions, surely, would get him a chakra-encrusted punch to the nose.

Kakashi looked at the scrap of paper in his hand, with his hastily scrawled notes, with a sigh. He might as well start with the flowers.

Making his way down the busy Konoha street—Kakashi spotted the Yamanka's flower shop's bright-yellow sign, hanging 150 meters away. Picking up his pace, knowing that he only had two hours and fourty-seven minutes until his date with Sakura, he neared his target.

Pausing, Kakashi wondered if Ino's flower shop was the best option—sure, she would know what Sakura would like, but it was well known that she was the "Queen of the Grape Vine". Placidly, Kakashi weighed his options.

Figuring that their relationship would get talked about anyways, Kakashi continued towards the bright shop. Besides, Ino would at least put a positive spin on their relationship—and she _would_ know what Sakura would like. More than likely, Ino would _thoroughly _enjoy giving Kakashi advice—which was why he factored in forty-five minutes at the flower shop.

The clinking of bells signaled his arrival.

"I'll be with you in just a minute! Chouji, help the customer please!"

Chouji appeared from back with a box filled with plotted flowers. Stopping in his tracks, Chouji blinked—wide-eyed and mouth agape—at the man before him. Regaining his composure, the burly jounin smiled amiably.

* * *

"Good afternoon, Kakashi! What can I help you with?"

Kakashi smiled back—vaguely noting how happy Chouji was, even though Ino put him on a diet. It still amazed him that Ino, the girl who used to be shallower than Tsunade's sake cup, looked past Chouji's large frame and fell in love with his heart of gold. Sakura told him that Ino had said that she was tired of pretty boys who, 'Don't give a damn about me'.

Apparently, Chouji had found her after date-gone-bad. A guy that she had been dating for two weeks had only wanted her for her looks, and when Ino said 'No', he promptly dumped her for someone who would comply. He wiped her tears, took her out to eat, and walked her home. After that, Ino was smitten.

After a year of dating, the two had gotten married—the second pair of the rookie nine to get married--second only behins Shikamaru, who had married Temari a year before, when he was nineteen and she was twenty-two. After Ino and Chouji's wedding, Neji and Tenten's came, followed a month later by Naruto and Hinata's.

No wonder Sakura felt like she was left behind—she was almost twenty-one and almost all of her closet friends were married. And before last night, she wasn't even in a relationship.

Kakashi shook his head, he had a schedule to keep.

"Actually, I wanted to speak to Ino, if she's available, that is."

Speak of the devil. As soon as the words were out of his mouth—he saw a streak of blonde rush down the stairs.

Leaning over to catch her breath, Ino breathed out, "Sorry, sweetheart! I was just on the phone with Sakura."

Ino regained her posture.

"You won't believe what she told me, Chouji—

Ino froze, just now catching sight of Kakashi.

Letting out a girly, high-pitched squeal, she ushered Chouji out the room—on the premise of checking the dumplings.

"Pumpkin, what did you want to tell—

"I'll tell you later, I have to help Kakashi-san right now!"

With a nod, Chouji left to their apartment above the shop.

Kakashi decided, with an internal cringe, that nicknames like 'Pumpkin', should be illegal.

Without missing a beat , Ino steered Kakashi towards towards a bouquet of daisies.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

With a bouquet of daisies in hand, Kakashi left the Yamanka Flower Shop with a lot more confidence—sure she had about talked his ear off and asked too many personal questions for his taste, but she definitely knew Sakura.

As Ino had put it, "I'm her best friend, Kakashi-san. I know almost everything about her, and I'll be more than glad to help you with your date—you men are hopeless when it comes to planning—because you make Sakura happy. And I like Sakura being happy. But, I swear, if you hurt her—I'll kick your ass past Hokage Tower—I don't care if you are Sharingan Kakashi. You hurt her—I'll hurt you back."

Kakashi wondered how kind, peace-loving Chouji fell in love with a spitfire like Ino. He had to give her credit though—she did manage to instill a small—_excruciating small_—bit of fear in him with her icy glare. Still, it was more than most could boast about.

According to Ino, he needed to wear faded blue jeans and a dark, collared shirt. Apparently, it was the perfect date outfit—not too casual or dressy with the perfect blend of style and color.

As Kakashi's feet went on autopilot, Kakashi pulled out the Yamanka business card with his right hand, peering at the flowery, blue script written on the back.

_"La Roma"__ 6:15_

Kakashi had never had Italian food, but if it was Sakura's favorite, that was where they would go.

Checking his watch, he realized that he only had an hour left to get dressed and pick up Sakura and— daisies in hand—took off on the rooftops.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Running his gloved hand through his hair, he suddenly felt strangely self-conscious about his appearance. Looking briefly at his casual attair, that Ino had suggested—well, more like ordered—him to wear, Kakashi decided that it didn't suit him. He felt naked without his vest, and vaguely wondered what people would think—heck, he was carrying daises—and his beloved novels weren't even visible.

Sighing for the umpteenth time that evening, Kakashi sauntered towards Sakura's apartment—pausing briefly at the door. Maybe he should change? No, not enough time. Maybe he could play sick?

Growling to himself—what was he, a coward?—he knocked with much more confidence then he was feeling.

He heard Sakura's sweet voice calling from inside.

"Come in! Sorry, I'm running a little bit behind…"

Opening the door, Kakashi lost all train of thought.

Viridian met russet, and both parties froze.

"Umm…"

_Damnit_, Kakashi thought, when he realized he couldn't come up with a single thing to say. Roaming his eyes over her lovely figure, he mentally drooled—even wearing dark jeans and a light-green halter, she was gorgeous.

A pretty blush had begun to stain her cheeks. It was then, he realized—much to Inner Kakashi's extreme joy—that she was also checking_ him _out. He briefly wondered whether that should bother him, but pushed that thought aside to dissect later.

Fingering her halter top, Sakura ducked her head.

"Err…Ino told me to wear this…"

He'd have to remember to buy Ino something nice.

Trying to regain his composer, Kakashi spoke.

"You look beautiful, Sakura."

Her blush deepening, Sakura murmured, "You too."

Kakashi vaguely wondered when crickets had entered the apartment, and when had they gotten so loud?

"Er…I…umm…"—great he sounded like a nervous teenager out on his first date.

Clearing his throat—and lone eye admiring the carpeting—Kakashi held out the bouquet of daisies that he had been clutching with a death grip. It was safer not to talk.

"Oh! You didn't have to get me anything…"

Hurriedly, Sakura took the bouquet and filled a vase with water.

He almost missed the pleased—and flattered—expression she had on her face.

The tapping of her heals signaled her return. Trying to maintain a cool composure, Kakashi grinned—eye crinkle and all—as he opened the door.

"Ladies first."

Sakura couldn't help but laugh when he gestured—sweeping arm and partially bowed—towards the door.

Kakashi grinned. Maybe it wouldn't be as awkward as he thought.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Making their way down the Konoha street, Kakashi tried to find a word that described his current feelings. Remarkably, the conversation had been light-hearted—the initial awkwardness gone—filled with slight jibes and inside jokes.

Sakura's voice startled him from his internal musings.

"You know, you practically gave me a heart attack—you are late for the meetings with the Hokage, yet you are _early_ for our date. I was barely ready!"

Kakashi chuckled at her face upturned in mock indignation.

One of the things he enjoyed most about Sakura was their playful banter—it always managed to lighten his mood considerably.

"You got ready? You just looked like you crawled out of bed. If you didn't want to date me—you could have just said so. There was no need to try to scare me away."

Sakura huffed and stuck out her tongue—trying to hide the grin that was slowly appearing on her face.

"At least I don't have _gray _hair, old man. What are you now, forty-five?"

That was crossing the line. "It's silver. And, I am barely 35."

Sakura snickered. "Denial is the first stage."

Nodding sagely, Sakura crossed her arms.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

"Two for Hatake, please?"

The waiter nodded, "Right this way, Sir."

Grabbing Sakura's hand, he followed 'Lucien' to their table.

Right as they were about to be seated, they heard a crash and saw a bright ball of hair zooming in their direction.

"SAKURA-CHAAAN! KAKASHI-SENSEI!!!!"

Grimacing, Kakashi wondered if he would ever regain his hearing.

Sakura's hold on his hand tightened.

Seeing Naruto in his ANBU uniform, mask in hand, wasn't a good sign.

**Alright, I'm not really pleased with this chapter--I had alot of trouble with the interation between Kakashi and Sakura, as well as figuring out Chouji's part. **

**I tried my best! Please R & R**

* * *


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: I'm in a great mood!!! CTL has almost 2000 hits! I love all of you readers—though I do love the people who review more (hint hint)**

**I'd like to dedicate this next chapter to ****CandySuicide****—may your boring, yucky job in the hospital be less boring and yucky! Thanks for the wonderful PM! You really lifted my ****spirits :P**

Three sets of feet pounded upon the now rain-slick rooftops. Trailing Naruto and Sakura, Kakashi stared into the gray and stormy sigh, wondering if it was an omen of what was to come.

Selfishly, he cursed Tsunade for her horrible timing—interrupting their date just when he was beginning to feel more at ease.

As if sensing his displeasure, the sky roared with ear-shattering rumble—closely followed by sharp bolts of deadly electricity.

The three shinobi continued on, speeding to a sprint towards Hokage Tower—chakra-engulfed shoes leaping towards their target at a rate invisible to all but shinobi.

A mere twenty-five meters away, lighting struck the large oak tree at the center of the park.

The storm was getting closer—and much more dangerous. Quickly, the light shower that had began a few minutes after Kakashi and Sakura arrived at _La __Roma_ had turned into a hurricane.

The Copy Ninja lifted up his forehead protector, revealing a swirling Sharingan eye—courtesy of Uchiha Obito.

His eyes widened, and at a speed that could top the "Yellow Flash", he had tackled Sakura.

Kakashi wasn't aware of anything but bolt of lightning that was headed straight towards Sakura, his Sharingan eye seeing it's path before Naruto and Sakura had even realized it's presence.

He didn't hear Sakura's panicked scream or Naruto's yell of fear—the only thing he was aware of as they tumbled as a mess of tangled limbs towards the pavement below was the way Sakura's hands clutched his vest with desperation and the way she buried her head in his chest.

His arms instinctively wrapping around his kunoichi, he managed he managed to break their—well, _her_—fall from the fifty-foot building.

Vaguely, he realized that he had hit the ground—based on spreading soreness in his lower back and searing pain coming from his right hand.

Eyes blinking rapidly, he couldn't help the slight blush that tinged his cheeks when he realized their proximity.

Pulling himself up towards the wall—apparently they had rolled across the street after smashing into the middle of the deserted and flooded intersection—he re-adjusted Sakura from laying straight across him into a less tempting position of her in his lap.

Jade eyes opeing slowly, Sakura looked around at the surrondings. He eyes widened almost comically.

"Kakashi! Are you alright? What hurts? Oh my god, you got hurt because of me! I should have seen it coming! I'm a jounin for Kami's sake—

Pulling the hyperventilating girl to his chest—and focusing her eyes on _him_ and not the mass of charcoaled wood where she would have been—he rubbed calming circles on her back.

What a great date this turned out to be, Kakashi thought cynically.

"Kakashi! Sakura-chan!" Naruto's loud voice carried over the still-roaring sky.

Skidding to a stop on the wet pavement. Naruto crouched down.

Eyes wide with concern, Naruto opened his mouth, but was immediantly interrupted by Kakashi's baritone voice.

"We're fine, Naruto—just watching the rain."

Naruto sighed in exasperation as Kakashi's eyes creased merrily.

Regaining her composer, Sakura stood up and—red faced and voice squeaky—mumbled an apology to both her teammates.

Readjusting his forehead protector to it's sideways position, Kakashi tranquilly—albeit sorely—stood up.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Downing another cup of sake, Tsuande glared at the late shinobi.

"What the hell took you so long?"

Naruto, who had taken his place by Hinata—who had been waiting for them at the office doors—answered with a grin on his face.

"Well, old lady"—a vein in Tsuande's temple twitched—"I had to go all the way across town to get Kakashi and Sakura-chan from their date and—

"Date? What date?" Tsuande demanded as she glared at the silver-haired ninja.

Before anyone could answer, the 5th continued.

"Don't answer. I'll speak with you about that later Kakashi"—Kakashi cringed—"Continue, Naruto."

His smile never faltering, Naruto obliged.

"Yeah, and we were running and the weather was really bad and Sakura-chan almost got struck by lightening—"

It was Shizune, this time, who interrupted.

"Sakura-san, are you alright?"

Her forehead knitted together in worry as Ton-Ton oinked in agreement.

"Of course she is!"

Tsunade huffed.

"She's my apprentice, after all."

Tsunade smiled smugly.

"Of course she would see and dodge it."

Naruto laughed. Hinata cringed. Tsunade glared. Shizune coughed. Sakura blushed.

Kakashi sighed.

This would be a long night.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Tsuande's face turned grim.

"...this is an S-Class mission."

Sakura hardened at the answer to her question.

"But Tsunade-sama, why are Hinata and I going? Normally only ANBU take these missions—Hinata and I are still jounin!"

"True. But you are a medic—and a great one at that. This mission will push everyone to their limits. Excellent shinobi die in these types of missions—I'm not going to risk any of you. You're too valuable for… Konoha to lose."

"Tsunade-sama?" Hinata stepped forwardly confidently—albeit shyly.

The Hokage turned her gold eyes onto the once-Hyuuga heiress.

"Yes, Hinata?"

"Not to mean any disrespect, but why me? I'm not a medic like Sakura-chan—

"True. But you are an excellent tracker with those eyes of yours. Plus, it's no secret how great you are with herbs—your skills go hand in hand with Sakura's."

Hinata blushed shyly from the praise as Naruto grinned and wrapped his arm around his wife.

Tsunade smiled softly at their apparent happiness with each other. Her gaze shifted to her former apprentice and the ANBU captain who hovered protectively by her side.

Clearing his throat, Kakashi felt all eyes turn to him.

"So the objective is to infiltrate the Sound Village and dig for information involving the rumors that are floating around—of the call for shinobi to come to the Sound, to the secret alliances forming, to it's leader and his plans for Konoha. Am I correct so far?"

Tsunade nodded solemnly.

"And if possible, exterminate the leader if a threat to Konoha is evident. Is that also correct?"

Naruto's fist clenched and strengthened his hold on his lavender-eyed wife.

Sakura's eyes became red with tears that she refused to shed—of regret, of grief, and of guilt.

Kakashi's next words became caught in his throat.

Swallowing, Kakashi continued.

"If the rumors are true…you want us to kill Uchiha Sasuke, his wife Uchiha Karin, and his newborn daughter, Uchiha Mikoto?

Tsunade refilled her sake cup, taking a large gulp.

"Hatake, you are in charge. Create new names, backgrounds, etc. You know the drill. Pack up and leave within the hour—I know it's practically a hurricane, but we are running out of time. If the rumors are true, Sasuke is mobilizing his forces against us. We can't let that happen. I know he was your teammate, but he chose his own fate—he's a traitor and a liability to our village."

Tsunade turned her weary face towards her future successor.

"Naruto, don't do anything rash."

Switching her eyes to Hinata, they softened with motherly concern.

"Keep him in line. And I won't forget to tell your genin team about your absence. I'll have another jounin replace you temporarily."

Turning her gaze to the women who was like a daughter to her, Tsunade continued.

"Sakura, before you leave take all the medical supplies you need from the hospital—but pack light, in this weather it's a week's journey to the village, and you don't want to wear out."

Seeing Sakura nod in affirmation, the Hokage now turned her gaze to the man next to her.

"Hatake—you stay for a moment longer."

Waving her hand towards the three remaining members, she spoke tiredly, "Meet up with Hatake at his apartment within a half-hour packed and ready to go. You'll discuss your plan of action. Now, Dismissed."

Naruto and Hinata walked swiftly from the room, leaving Sakura to trail behind hesitantly.

Taking her cue, Shizune and Ton-Ton soon followed.

As soon as the woodened doors closed with an audible 'click', Tsunade's eyes narrowed.

"Hatake, you have some explaining to do."

**Sorry this wasn't as long as the other chapters—this was sort of an in between one. I tried a different style at the beginning—focusing more on the external than internal. Tell me what you think—reviews make my fingers type faster :P**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Sorry it took so long to update—I was sick, and then I got caught up in reading this great KakaSaku fic, called: "Fourteen Dates". It's an awesome story—I definitely recommend it.**

**Also, I would like to dedicate this chapter to two very great people:**

**Seiyaferret—thanks for the amusing review! I'm glad that my stories are keeping you sane…I hope your sprained ankle gets better soon!**

**FakeCompassion—thanks for the great PM! I loved your suggestion for a conflict—I'm defiantly going to use it (either in this chapter or the next, depending on how it ****develops)**

**Thanks again to all my dedicated reviewers—I update solely for you…I'm more of a one-shot type person!**

**Disclaimer: If I owned Naruto, why would I need a disclaimer?**

Briefly, Kakashi wondered if it was against shinobi rules to hit, smash, crunch, or maim another shinob--from the same village, excluding sparring-- in anyway if the said shinobi did nothing wrong.

But based on the look in the overbearing woman's eyes, she didn't give a damn.

Kakashi gulped. He should have written a will—or at least a goodbye note. After all, someone needed to take care of his beloved dogs. Off handedly, Kakashi decided that when he had some free time he would add Sakura's name to his summoning scroll and teach her the proper hand signs to summon them.

"Hatake, you are the only man alive who has the audacity to date my apprentice—who was your former student and is fourteen years your junior—and not tell me, the hokage, about it, and _then _stare into space when I told you to explain."

He really should get his problem with focusing fixed—maybe it was a medical condition?

Inwardly, Kakashi pouted—he hated giving long explanations—but it was either talk a lot or get hit a lot. And, if anything, the Hatakes were known for their survival skills—excluding, of course, voluntary death.

Bowing deeply and forcing his voice to not betray the slight panic that was setting in after the death stare he had just received, he took a deep breath.

"My apologies, Hokage-sama, the date was impromptu—it was spur of the moment. I should have asked your permission—I know she is like a daughter to you. But before you pass judgment, please listen to my side of the story."

Satisfied, the amber-eyed women nodded almost unnoticeably.

Eye crinkling slightly, Kakashi continued.

"I care about Sakura a lot—more than I have cared for anyone before—and from what I have seen, she feels the same way. I know that you probably won't ever approve, but I ask that you tolerate it, for Sakura's sake. She's just gotten out of her depression; I don't want her to be miserable again because of me—because I made the mistake of not getting permission. If you're going to punish me, I won't complain—it's justified—but don't force me to end our relationship."

Raising his head to stare eye to eye with his leader, he steeled himself for the repercussions.

Amber met russet as an eerie silence fell upon the two elites.

Suddenly, the blonde-haired woman's eyes softened.

Raising her voice, Tsunade smiled softly.

"Sakura, come in—don't try to walk away and pretend that you weren't listening in on our conversation—I'm not that inept that I can't sense my student of almost ten year's chakra, am I?"

Meekly, Sakura opened the door—face red and a sheepish smile on her face.

Kakashi's visible eye widened in surprise—he hadn't even sensed her.

Tsunade smirked.

"Of course you couldn't sense her, Hatake—the sound of your heart was beating loud enough to drown out the thunder."

This time, it was Kakashi who was blushing. Fighting his blush down, he reached for Sakura's hand.

She smiled shyly at the contact.

"Both of you are wasting time—shouldn't you be packing for the mission?"

Gaping, Sakura squeezed Kakashi's hand slightly as she tentatively took a step forward on the lush carpet.

"Tsunade-sama, I—

Turning her chair around to face the window, Tsunade continued as if she hadn't been interrupted.

"And Hatake, we're a little short of tents right now seeing as how many genin seemed to set theirs a little too close to the fire—so you can only bring two. Give the second tent to Naruto to carry for himself and Hinata…"

Tsunade smirked—she didn't need to see their faces to know what their reaction would be.

There wasn't a shortage of tents—and neither Kakashi or Sakura were oblivious enough to miss the suggestion and the silent acceptance pf their relationship.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

While Inner Kakashi and Sakura were doing victory dances and giving each other high fives—their outers weren't behaving in such a way.

Sakura had immediately let go of Kakashi's hand, blushing harder than he had ever seen Hinata blush, and suddenly found her cuticles to be utterly fascinating.

Kakashi in contrast, had put a hand to subtly wipe the blood that had spewed forth from his nose, while opening up his latest _Icha Icha_ only toput it away moments later—suddenly remembering why he had forgone his favorite reading material in the first place: bad thoughts.

Voice squeaky, Sakura excused herself to go pack—with the promise of meeting him at his apartment in fifteen minutes.

Picking up his own pace—he headed home to ready his pact and other parts of himself for the sure to be exhausting—both mentally and physically—mission.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

"Naruto—I'll refer to you as Raku—you are the spoiled son of a wealthy merchant who has hired a guard and a nurse to protect and keep safe you and your beloved girlfriend, Hinata-- or as you call her, Aya. Sakura—or as we know her, Kei—was found by Raku and Aya at a marketplace where she was selling her homemade medicines. Upon hearing of the payment she would receive, Rei decided to join the couple on the trip to the Snow Country for their vacation. Rei also decided to bring along your husband, who was a guard for the local daimyo before he lost his eye and quit to go into business as a guard for those with the money. Masashi—though you tend to call be Masa for short—was given the position to lead the wealthy couple safely to the land of the Snow. However, we got lost and stumbled upon the nearest village—unaware that it was the Hidden Village of the Sound."

The jounins and ANBU operative nodded, soaking in the details and ingraining them into their memory.

After a moment of silence, Kakashi continued.

"We'll have to henge ourselves when we get within a few days away—and we can't be seen—if Sasuke is as smart as he used to be, he'll have spies throughout the countryside—he'll be expecting us. We'll travel mostly at night—starting tonight—and sleep from early morning to mid-afternoon in shifts. We'll then continue making our way towards the targets. If all goes well, we will be in enemy territory in about five days."

Taking a deep breath, Kakashi nodded to Sakura, who had instantly switched into ninja-mode when Naruto and Hinata appeared.

"Kakashi, are we going to switch into our disguises to fit our new identities tonight, or are we going to wait?"

Intelligent and calculating as always, Kakashi thought, as a smile tugged on his lips.

"We'll change tomorrow after we sleep—we'll then go into town and buy anything we don't have. Tsunade gave me the appropriate funds."

"Kakashi-san?"

The said ninja looked expectantly at the newest edition to the Uzumaki clan.

Blushing slightly—he secretly wondered how, considering she had nothing to be embarrassed about—she continued her question.

"Did we pack all the necessary supplies?"

Standing up from the kitchen table, Kakashi sauntered into the living room, peering at the four packs lying next to the door.

Briefly, Kakashi's dark eyed scrutinized each pack—counting either a tent or a bundle of medical supplies on each—and nodded in affirmation.

Naruto grinned at his wife, "If we don't have something, we can just use the old lady's money to buy stuff at the villages we stop at. I hope they have ramen!"

Inwardly, Kakashi wondered how even the most tense situations could be lightened up by Naruto.

Looking back over his shoulder, she saw Sakura trying—in vain—not to laugh at Naruto's remark.

She settled for reaching over and bopping his head, muttering 'Idiot' and earning a groan from Naruto, who scooted closer to Hinata and—cerulean eyes squinted—glared in mock hatred at Sakura, who snorted in retaliation.

Kakashi rolled his eyes. This would be an interesting trip.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

The four shinobi bounded through the Konoha forest, using the chakra on their feet to not only propel them forward, but to also keep them balanced-though the wind had died down slightly, the rain came down in icy torrents, freezing them to the bone and making the branches slippery has they jumped from tree to tree.

Each dressed in dark colors, the four shinobi soundlessly made their way through the desolate greenery, lost in their own thoughts.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Silently, Kakashi glanced over at each of his companions. It was still early morning, yet they—just as he—were exhausted. The weather had not only slowed them down, but it had also worn them out.

Yet he kept pushing them, telling himself that it was to achieve their objective as soon as possible, but in reality—Kakashi was afraid of sharing a tent with Sakura.

If Genma found out, he'd never hear the end of it.

Blanching, Kakashi shook his head—he shouldn't be thinking about what people would say if they found out—after all, he had more immediate problems to worry about—such as seeing his favorite kunoichi in skimpy clothes inches away from him in the near future.

Inwardly grimacing about the horrible night sleep he would get—her proximity would definitely be a distraction—and vaguely wondered whether he wanted to thank or smack his beloved hokage.

**Alright, it's not my longest chapter yet—but I got the hardest part out of the way (I think) and I can get into the details and plot (which I am creating as I go) within the next chapter. If you have any suggestions about what you want to see—review and tell me, or just send me a PM.**

**Note: I won't due any lemons—I would feel weird writing them and I wouldn't do it justice. When the time comes, I'll just give vague details and let you use your own ****imagination :P**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Sorry it took so long for this chapter to get up--I wrote a Manifesto about KakaSaku--with the reasons why it is a valid pairing. I had the urge to spread the love of KakaSaku.**

**So, yeah--that's my excuse. **

**Disclaimer: Don't own, Don't sue!**

**_Chapter 6: The Tent_**

Kakashi was interrupted from his musings by a frightened cry.

Skidding to a stop, he saw the dark-haired girl falling toward the muddy floor below--he didn't have time to react, for at the same time the Copy Ninja saw the petite girl fall, he saw her husband lunge after her.

Kakashi breathed a sigh of relief as he saw the blond-haired ANBU land smoothly on the balls of his feet--his wife in his arms resting bridal-style.

Blushing profusely, Hinata stammered a quite apology to the group that had quickly gathered around her.

Eyes wide and rimmed with tears, Hinata looked pleadingly at Naruto.

"I'm sorry, Naruto-kun! I was tired and didn't pay attention. I lost my footing..."

Turning her gaze to the pink and silver-haired ninjas, she opened her mouth to continue her string of apologies.

Placing a delicate hand on her shoulder, Sakura smiled reassuringly at the shy jounin.

As if on cue, lavender, viridian, and azule eyes turned to him.

Chuckling slightly, Kakashi scratched his head.

"We're all tired. This weather will definitly slow us down. However, we can't push ourselves unless we want to cause injury. Next time anyone's tired let me know. Being a few days ahead, while beneficial, won't do any good if someone got injured because of it."

Sakura let her arm fall off of Hinata's slight frame--moving, instead, to put her hand on Kakashi's muscular arm.

Lifting her eyes, she directed her next sentence to their leader.

"Kakashi, you're right. As the primary medic, I should have been the one to ask for a break--I knew Hinata's chakra reserves, like mine, were growing slim. I overestimated our abilities. We should go head and set up for the night--well, morning"

Sakura looked around alot the lightness around them. She almost forgot that they travelled at night rather than in the daylight--it was a switch from how the medic usually travelled on missions.

"--seeing as we'll head out as soon as the light starts dimming. Based on the sun, we are about mid-morning now. If we sleep in shifts of two each, we can each get about five hours of rest."

Nodding the herself as if this was the best possible scenerio--there was no doubt that she had already been thinking about the benefits and negative aspects of each possible one. Kakashi briefly wondered if Sakura would ever try out for ANBU--with her leadership skills, she'd make an excellent captain. He could even train her for the exam.

Kakashi smirked. That meant alone time. And alone time might lead to other things...

Kakashi's visible eye widened. How could they ever get _that_ far if he was afraid to share a tent with her?

Grimacing slightly, he wondered how he--a known ladies man, who always, _always _pleased his partners--was afriad of taking the next step with Sakura.

Kami knows he wanted to.

Staring blankly at the canopy of trees above them, he wondered if it was because he acutally loved Sakura. She wasn't just a one-night stand--he was actually thinking of a future with them.

Hell, he had dreamed about what it would be like to marry her--to wake up lying next her silken body, and to hear her beautiful voice greet him-- more times than he could count. And that was before he realized Sakura returned his feelings.

They hadn't even finished their first date yet and he was already hearing wedding bells.

Ah, the irony.

A forced cough brought him from his thoughts.

Looking around sheepishly, he realized three sets of eyes were staring at him curiously.

Damn. He really needed to get his focus problem checked out.

Thinking quickly, the russet-eye ninja explained--lied--about how he was using his sensitive hearing to check for enemies since they would be camping out within a few meter of their current location. Handing Naruto his and Sakura's tent, he off-handedly suggested that the blond set up both tents while they secured the perimeter.

While Hinata scanned the area with her bloodline triat, Sakura set up a genjutsu to ward off enemy nin. Kakashi, meanwhile, set up multiple seals and other traps.

Within a few minutes, the area was secure and Sakura--who had volunteered to cook just so they wouldn't have to eat ramen--began making a rice dish.

Kakashi set back calmly against the large oak tree a few meters from his--_their_--tent. Looking up at the sky, Kakashi wondered how life could be so simple and complicated at the exact same time.

**I know this is the shortest chapter yet!!! The problem was, I didn't want to get into the tent sceen yet--I plan to make it about a chapter in itself. I'm not sure if I should make it with lots of flashbacks, talks about the future, romance, or plain cut and dry humor.**

**Tell me what you want to be in the next chapter and I'll do my best to put it all in there!! **

**Thanks again to all of my reviewers! You all make my day--I write solely for you!**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: I've found my muse!! I apologize for temporarily losing it. I'll keep better track of it next time :P**

**Disclaimer: If I owned Naruto, TenTen would have character depth.**

**_Chapter 7: Memories_**

The crinkling of grass alerted Kakashi to Sakura's presence. The medic gracefully set down against the tree next to him--simultaneously handing Kakashi his dinner.

The two ate in companionable silence as they listened to Naruto's retelling of a mission he had recently come back from. Hinata listened closely, gasping in the scary parts and laughing sweetly at the amusing ones.

Swallowing her last bite, Sakura leaned in closely towards Kakashi.

"How many times do you think Hinata has heard that story?"

Chuckling, Kakashi whispered, "More than I can count. However, the real question is how she can still find his stories exciting."

Grinning in response, Sakura amiably continued.

"Oh, I can see why she finds them exciting--she loves everything about him, even his idiotic stories. The _real _question is how does she still have her hearing intact after being around Naruto for so long."

Kakashi's smile widened--he silently wondered how she could always make him smile, even when he was nervous.

Taking a swallow from her canteen, the medic continued.

"So, we're taking the first shift, right?"

Retaining his calm demeanor, he nodded in affirmation.

"We have to have a team meeting before Hinata and Naruto go to bed and we start our post. We have to discuss our plan again."

The confusion in Sakura's eyes was evident,

"But, Kakashi, didn't we already set a plan."

Kakashi sighed. "The weather and the muddy forest will become a problem."

Glancing up at the sky, Sakura replied.

"But it stopped raining!"

Nonchalantly, Kakashi explained.

"Yes, it stopped. However, it will rain again--and rain a lot--tonight,"

Viridian eyes widened. "How can you possibly know that?"

The silver-haired ninja smirked.

"I can smell the storm coming."

Sakura rolled her eyes. "Of course you can. And I bet when that lightening struck you, who knows how many years ago, you weren't hurt a bit."

Blinking in confusion, the silver-haired nin replied. "I've never been struck by lightening..."

Smirking, Sakura retorted. "Then, how do you explain your hair?"

Kakashi scowled. "What about my hair?"

With an air of superiority about her, the kunoichi continued. "Well, it defies gravity. My theory is that lightning struck you--you probably were reading those stupid books of yours and weren't paying attention--and your hair was permenantly damaged."

Scowling, Kakashi wasted no time in offering a rebuttal.

"At least my hair isn't pink. _Pinky._"

"Better pink than gray. _Grandpa_."

"Bubblegum-head."

"Frosty the Snow Man."

"Hair-dying gone wrong."

"Lightening-struck hair."

"Pretty?"

Sakura, taken aback, stuttered a reply.

"P-pretty? I though we were insulting each other! Why did you suddenly compliment me?"

Shrugging, Kakashi replied. "I couldn't come up with any more insults."

Blushing, Sakura averted her gaze.

Laughing, at something just remembered, Kakashi turned toward the kunoichi who was purposely ignoring him.

"Frosty the Snow Man?"

Her blush deepening, Sakura huffed.

"Well, it was the first thing that came into my mind. I was cold, so I thought winter. And one thing led to another--"

Abrubtly, Kakashi interrupted Sakura's ramble.

"You're cold?"

Rubbing her arms slightly, Sakura mumbled a hesitant reply. "In my rush to get packed, I forgot to pack a jacket..."

As Sakura looked away embarassed at being unprepared, Kakashi began slipping out of the jacket he was wearing over his ANBU uniform.

Suddenly, Sakura felt a warmth spread over her arms and back. However, what most surprised her was that she felt a heavy, firm--and yet, somehow soft--weight on her shoulder. Some how during the process of putting the jacket on Sakura's shoulders, Kakashi's arms had wrapped around her petite frame.

The blushing, russet-eyed ninja made no attempt to move it.

As Sakura snuggled deeper into his embrace, she quietly murmered, "Don't we have to meet with Naruto and Hinata before we start our watch...?"

Instinctively, Kakashi stiffened. He had completely forgotten about Naruto and Hinata. From the looks of it, they had already gone to bed. Suddenly, Kakashi came to alot of realizations. Firstly, it was much later than he had thought (the sun was shining brightly, meaning that their five hour shift had started about an hour ago). Secondly, he realized that Sakura had already come to that realization. And thirdly, he realized that for once in his life he had lived in the moment, not caring about anything else besides the woman next to him--and that he didn't care.

Vaguely, he realized that he should be more alert to his surrondings in the future.

Pushing that thought to the back of his brain--he could worry about his carelessness later--he answered the kunoichi who lay comfortingly against his chest.

"We'll talk to them in the morning. Right now, let's just enjoy our shift."

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Walking hand in hand, Kakashi and Sakura made their way to the Uzumakis' tent. Whispering softly, Sakura told Hinata that it was their time to take the watch.

The pair heard a quiet shuffling and muffled groans--coming from the soon-to-be hokage--and they made their way to their own tent a few meters away, resting under the shelter of a great oak.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

**I know, I know, I promised the tent scene. Yet, this bit of fluff came to me and I couldn't help but add it in. And, being my lazy self, I didn't feel like writing the tent scene yet. On the bright side, with my tendancy to go into detail over the most pointless things, this story will last longer...**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Sorry this chapter took so long--I was at camp all week. Anyways, I hope you like this chapter! It was difficult to come up with what I wanted to happen in this scene. But, at last, the Tent Scene is here!**

**This chapter is dedicated to a wonderful reviewer who called me the "light of her life". Ah, the ego boost.**

**_The Rose Has Thorns_, this is for you.**

**Disclaimer: If I owned Naruto, Matsuri would have a larger role. You don't know who Matsuri is? My point exactly.**

**_Chapter 8: Making New Memories_**

**__**

The two shinobi unrolled their sleeping bags with the occasional "sorry" or "excuse me" in between as the awkward pair accidentally tangled limbs in an attempt to settle their side of the tent. 

Kakashi didn't comment when Sakura accidentally fell on top of him--brushing his lower regions in the process. 

Sakura didn't comment on his sharp intake of breath during said accident. 

And neither commented on the blush and accelerated heart-rate that each other seemed to develope. 

Breaking the silence, Sakura said his name quietly as her blush deepened. 

Turning the almost twenty-one, pink-haired ninja, he indicated he was listening with the slight nod of his head. 

Ducking her head, Sakura muttered a quiet "never mind" before turning the opposite direction on the pretext of finding something in her sack. Running her tongue over her newly-brushed teeth--the pair had cleaned up before heading to wake up their teammates for their shift--she felt eyes bore into her back. 

"Sakura, you don't have to hide your thoughts from me. Obviously, some thing's bothering you. What's wrong?" 

Swiftly, Kakashi was behind Sakura, putting one hand on her slim waist and the other on chin, forcing the reluctant kunoichi to look into his eyes. 

Gasping, Sakura stared at his bare face. 

With realization, Kakashi chuckled. 

"Sakura, you've seen my face before." 

Regaining her composer, the pink-haired kunoichi replied. "True, but only for a second, then you--" 

Blushing for the umpteenth time that evening Sakura averted her eyes. Consumed with his own thoughts, Kakashi missed how her eyes suddenly glazed over and how she absently ran her moist tongue over her lips. 

Removing his hand from her chin he felt an unpleasant twist in his stomach that he vaguely realized must be nervousness. 

Inwardly, Kakashi hypothesized that it must be because the last time he had kissed her had been in the "heat of the moment", so to speak. They had both been drinking, so the alcohol definitely made them bolder. He didn't even know if Sakura was ready to go beyond hand-holding and innocent hugging. 

After all, he was her first boyfriend--he somehow didn't really like that label; he liked to think that they were much more than that--and he knew that time two nights ago was her first kiss. Being the selfless person that she was, she devoted all her time to the hospital and training with Kakashi and Tsunade. 

Based on the tabs he constantly kept on her--she always was his favorite student--she had never dated or shown any inclination to do so after Sasuke left. With a grimace, Kakashi repressed his anger. It may be petty, but Kakashi wanted to get revenge on the Uchiha for being the cause of Sakura's three-month long depression. And just after she had begun to be her normal cheery self, he parents were found dead. 

However, in a way, Kakashi owed Sasuke. If it wasn't for him, he wouldn't of had the chance to spend all that time with Sakura and form such a deep friendship. Sure, it wasn't the best of circumstances to put it lightly, but it was in that time that he started to feel something more for his student. 

At first, he ignored it and categorized the feeling as affection, similar to the way he felt about his good friends. The feeling, despite his attempts, only grew larger when Sakura stayed at his apartment for the week after her parent's death. 

In a selfish way which he hated to admit, he was relieved when Sakura went into her second depression. It gave him a good distraction. He was able to push away those complicated feelings and focus on Sakura getting back to her old self once again. 

Slowly, with the help of himself and her other friends, she did. 

When she was nineteen, she no longer cried over Sasuke or her parents. It was also at that time that he realized that Sakura might also want to be more than friends as well. 

In response, Kakashi ended up taking longer missions to keep himself busy. This way, his time with Sakura was limited. They still retained their friendship and occasionally sparred, but their was no long span of time that they were together. Less time meant less temptation. 

Despite his attempts, his feelings only grew. Then, when she was twenty, he avoided her for three months, and even abandoned his favorite literature to forgo the inappropriate thoughts that it brought about. 

Chuckling to himself, Kakashi realized it was all in vain. He couldn't fight his feelings--even if they were wrong. All it took was one night for their relationship to cross the line. It disturbed him that he was glad that they were more than just friends--it bothered him that he didn't care the slightest that he was fourteen years older than her or that he was once her teacher. Because, at twenty-one, Haruno Sakura had captured his elusive heart. 

"Kakashi, what are you laughing at?" 

Surprised, Kakashi looked up met a pair of viridian eyes. Inwardly grimacing, he realized that he had forgotten about her presence during his musings. 

Suddenly surveying their proximity, Kakashi attempted to back away, only to get tangled up in his sleeping bag. 

This brought out Sakura's child-like laughter. At this, Kakashi couldn't help but to smile broadly back. 

On a whim, Sakura "awwwwwed", much like women do when they see puppies and babies. 

In confusion, Kakashi blinked. "What?" 

Giggling, Sakura replied. "You have dimples! It's so cute!" 

Slightly embarrassed, Kakashi fought down the pink hue that was threatening take over his face as he scratched his head awkwardly. 

To distract himself, Kakashi asked about what she was going to ask earlier. 

Sighing at her non-responsiveness, he continued. "How about if you tell me what it was, I'll answer one question that you want to ask me. It can be anything that you want." 

The pink-haired woman nodded eagerly as her viridian eyes went alight with curiosity. 

Fidgeting uncomfortably, Sakura murmured that she was wondering if she should change her clothes or if it would be easier if she just kept them on. 

The Copy Ninja felt Sakura's glare as he laughed. 

"Sakura, that's nothing to be embarrassed about. However, to answer your question, it would be best if we stripped down--" 

Stiffening, Kakashi's eyes widened visibly--"Wait! That's--er--not what I meant. I mean that we should...um...shed any clothing that we don't need. I'm just going to take of my ANBU gear..." 

Kakashi shifted awkwardly as Sakura averted her eyes. 

Clearing his throat, Kakashi's baritone voice broke the tense atmosphere. "We should probably go to sleep now..." 

Eyes widening, Sakura protested. "Wait! You said that I could ask you any question that I wanted to!" 

"Sakura...it's getting late and--don't give me that look, Sakura. It's hitting below the belt." 

He was a sucker for her pouting face and puppy-dog eyes. 

She ignored him and stuck out her bottom lip further. 

Sighing with resignation, the silver-haired nin scratched his head. 

"Alright, but we at least need to lay down, okay?" 

Smiling victoriously, Sakura pumped an arm into the air in a way reminiscent of Naruto. That smile disappeared quickly, however, when the couple heard a boom that could only be identified as thunder. 

Grimacing, Kakashi realized that their traveling would only get worse. Absently, the shinobi voiced his thoughts. 

"Great... more rain. This will definitely slow us down tonight when we travel, although it definitely explains why it's dark mid-morning. I feel sorry for Naruto and Hinata--" 

"Kakashi?" 

Mismatched eyes swiveled her direction. Noticing how her hands twisted her sleeping bag--a sign of anxiousness--he asked her what was upsetting her. 

"I'm afraid of thunderstorms." 

"But Sakura, you've traveled through them multiple times--" 

"Yes, but I'm afraid to close my eyes during storms. It was because all of the nightmares I used to have as a child..." 

Soothingly, Kakashi wrapped his arms around her small frame. "If you want, we can sleep together. We can unzip them and lay on mine as we use yours to cover us up, if you like?" 

Looking up into his eyes, she paused before she continued--he assumed she wasn't used to seeing him without his forehead protector on (he had taken it off as they entered the tent, considering it would be uncomfortable to sleep with it on). 

Nodding sleepily--the exhaustion finally setting in--the pink-haired kunoichi untangled herself from his embrace to undo her sleeping bag. With in a few minutes, Sakura was snuggled deeply into Kakashi's chest--Inner Kakashi had a nosebleed--as the couple listened to Naruto and Hinata's hushed voices. 

Groggily, Sakura spoke into Kakashi's chest. "I thought I got to ask you a question?" 

Stroking her pink locks--which he decided smelt like cherries--he murmured into her ear. 

"How about if I let you ask two questions tomorrow, instead?" 

He felt her nod against his chest and soon found himself asleep with her warm, soft body pressed sinfully close to his. 

**YAY! It's done. It took me four hours of non-stop writing (I have to write it all at once or I'll forget where I intended the chapter to go). Anyways, I hope it was worth the wait. I'm sorry I didn't have any flashbacks, but the next chapter will have some.**

**Please comment and tell me what you would like to see!**


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: I know, its been forever. But, I DO have an excuse: I start school on the 23rd. And I have a project that I have to do for english. So, I've been busy writing for school. Plus, I owed alot of people stories for being awesome reviewers. I owe alot of you stories, and I'll PM you about them later.**

**Also, if anyone has a request, just let me know and I'll try my best to do it for you (especially if you review, hint hint).**

**This chapter is dedicated to pinky101 for reviewing, with out fail, for every chapter.**

**This is also dedicated to everyone who has me on their "Favorite Authors" list (you wonderful people know who you are). It's the best compliment a writer can receive.**

**Disclaimer: If I owned Naruto, Mr. Ukki would have more air time.**

**_A Proposition_**

Groggily, Kakashi opened his eyes. Based on the lack of light, he assumed Naruto would be heading to their tent in a few minutes to (rudely and obnoxiously loudly) wake them up.

Looking at the pink-haired woman snuggled comfortably into his side, he decided that Naruto would tease him relentlessly if he discovered how intimate their position was--even if they had done nothing intimate at all.

Suddenly--with heat rising to his face--he realized where exaclty his hands _were_.

Guiltily, albiet regretfully, he moved his hands from their inappropriate positions.

Hastily, Kakashi removed himself from Sakura--before Inner Kakashi persuaded him to do things that he knew she wasn't ready for.

Tenderly, he shook her shoulder.

Without warning, a manicured hand balled into a fist and slammed into his unsuspecting jaw.

Cursing, the copy nin clutched the rapidly-swelling, right side of his face.

Cautiously (in case she attacked based on movement), he reached into his sack, looking for anything that he could use to wake Sakura without any more injuries.

The search came out fruitless, and the distraught ninja was back to square one.

Thinking quickly, the copy nin decided that the only way to _not _get another crack in his jaw was to pin her hands to the side, while getting his mouth close enough to her ear to wake her up.

Much to Inner Kakashi's extreme joy, the only way to do this was to straddle her waist--he convinced himself that this was _only _to prevent her from pulling away.

Settling himself on top of her, he couldn't help but mentally groan when a low moan came from her throat. She t.empted him even when she was unconscious.

Shaking his head, the ANBU operative leaned forward--

Beryl eyes fluttered open.

Kakashi froze as Sakura's eyes widened. Quickly, he managed to stumble back to his part of the tent.

"Kakashi, what were you doing?"

Rubbing his head awkwardly, the ninja cleared his throat.

"Well, you see...it was time to get up, and when I attempted to wake you, you kind of cracked my jaw. So I was trying to pin...er...hold you down so that you wouldn't use any more of your limbs as weapons..."

The medics face changed from confusion to guilt as she hastily stutttered out multiple apologies.

Summoning her green-colored chakra to her right hand, she settled it directly on the fracture his jaw now sported.

Vaguely, the kunoichi decided he had one of the nicest jaws she had ever run across.

Within minutes, the bone had been reassembled and knitted together.

Reluctantly, Sakura moved her hand away, only for it to be enclosed in a larger, warmer one.

With her heart beating erratically, the pink-haired woman stepped forward to allow Kakashi's hand to clamp softly--yet possessively--around her petite waist.

Beryl eyes fluttered close as his lips met hers.

"SAKURA-CHAN! KAKASHI-SENSEI! TIME TO GET UP!"

Groaning, the pair seperated.

Naruto never did figure out why his breakfast--and only his--managed to get burnt by their pink-haired cook.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

The four shinobi jumped through the forest, trying to ignore the continuous rain drops that pelted their heads.

Kakashi turned his (now-masked) face as Sakura matched her speed to his.

Glancing at her questionally, the copy nin raised a silver eyebrow.

Grinning in response (Kakashi couldn't help but find it adorable the way her eyes shined when she was up to something), the medic drawled, "You know...you _still_ owe me two questions, Hatake."

Internally, Kakashi cringed. He was hoping that she was too lathargic last night to remember his promise.

"You're not getting out of this one, Kaka-kun, you _will _answer my questions."

"Hn."

"I'll take that as a 'yes'!"

"..."

"Now, what to ask you..."

"Sakura, I have a proposition for you."

Silently praying to Kami, he hoped that he could weasle out of the sure-to-be interrogation session. If there was one thing he knew about Sakura, it was that she was always curious. He'd just have to make the curiousity about what he was about offer greater than the curiousity to hear the answer to two of her questions.

"I'm listening."

"If you agree to forgo your two questions, I will give you the two gifts I brought for you _early_."

He watched anxiously as her brows furrowed in concentration.

"Alright, but here's my condition--"

Kakashi's eye creased aimably. "I should of known that there would be a condition."

Sakura smiled joyously at him (she seemed to be doing that alot around him, he noted).

"Of course, I had an amazing teacher that taught me to take advantage of situations."

"Why, Sakura-chan, you're such a flatterer--"

"Tsunade-shisou was an excellent teacher. I'll always admire her."

The silver-haired ninja put on a look of betrayal.

"Sakura-chan, sticks and stones may break my bones, but words may break my heart."

The beryl eyed woman couldn't contain the giggles that bubbled up in her throat. Kakashi joined her in laughter.

Casually, he slipped his gloved hand around her bare one. She blushed at the contact.

"Now, what was this condition of yours?"

Regaining her composer, Sakura smiled at him once more.

"Well, I'll forgo my questions if you also take me out to eat when we arrive at our first town. After all, are first date _was _ruined."

Inner Kakashi rubbed his hands gleefully. Out of all the conditions she could have made, that was by far best one.

Who is their right mind would turn down a date with Sakura?

His eye creasing one again, the ninja swooped down to plant a swift kiss on her unsuspecting lips.

"Deal."

**I'd like to apologise for the shortness of this chapter--but i'm rushed on time. I have to go write about syntax right now.**

**Next chapter will be longer, scouts honor.**

**Also, I'd like to thank all of my readers: This story has over 10,000 hits!!!**


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: I'm so, so sorry! I know I said I'd update last weekend, but my AP classes take up a lot more time than I imagined. I'd like to thank all or my wonderful readers for sticking with me and my grammar and spelling mistakes, as well as my sporadic updates.**

**First, I'd like to clarify something. I seem to be getting their ages mixed up. So, here they are:**

**Kakashi: 36**

**Naruto: 22**

**Hinata: 22**

**Sakura: 21--in my story, I imagine it to be late February. Her birthday will be soon!**

**If the dates are inconsistent within the chapters, I'm very sorry--I sometimes have trouble keeping details straight...**

**Dedication: To all of the wonderful people who have added me to their "Favorite Authors" list--it's the best ego-booster their is. You know who you are, and I appreciate all of you.**

**Disclaimer: Me no own Naruto.**

**_The Stage is Set!_**

The four dreary ninja slowly made their way down the dirt covered rode.

Kakashi rubbed his face. He just _had _to be practical. Glancing sourly at his aching feet, he mentally asked himself why he decided that they should travel for a full two days without rest. Sure, it had stopped raining (a miracle in itself), but really--why did he tell himself that it would be beneficial to get a head start?

Glancing over at his three teammates, he realized that Naruto had taken to carrying Hinata--the poor girl _did _look exhausted. Mentally he berated himself. He had forgotten what responsibilities came with being a team leader. Recently, he had been doing solo A-Class or S-Class missions. He had forgotten how much responsibilty was required when he had a team to look after. But, when he married Sakura and they had a family--stopping in his tracks, Kakashi wondered how that came up. Clearing his head, the silver-haired ninja resumed walking--ignoring the curious stare that the pink-haired medic gave him.

Shifting both packs on his shoulder awkwardly (he had forcefully taken Sakura's pack after she started lagging behind; she huffed and said she didn't need any help, but the copy nin didn't miss the grateful smile she sent towards him when she thought that he wasn't looking), he gazed into the distance. Vaguely, he could make out the outline of the tiny town called "Akane"--meaning brilliant red. Glancing briefly at the bright red, dirt road they were walking on, he suddenly knew how the village received its name.

Placidly, he realized that he needed to prep his team once more on their cover stories--for once they entered the town the real challenge would begin. Akane was approximately fifty miles from the Konoha/Sound border. They would have to tread carefully.

Motioning to his weary teammates, Kakashi plopped down on the dewy grass a few feet from the road. Glancing around casually, the experienced ninja confirmed their safety--he couldn't sense a chakra signal closer than two miles. And if they were attacked, the forest that flanked them on both sides would provide ample cover.

Wordlessly, Sakura sat down next to Kakashi--allowing him to casually snake his arm around her petite waist.

Kakashi cleared his throat to gain their wandering attention as Naruto repositioned his now-awake wife into his lap--the purple-haired Uzumaki sighed contentedly, a pink tinge appearing on her cheeks.

Naruto grinned wolfishly and waggled his eyebrows at Kakashi's closeness to the pink-haired medic. Seeing this exchange, Sakura blushed and threw a clump of dirt at his previously-clean face.

Sakura snickered as it landed with a 'thawck' and smiled gleefully as it slide down his face--leaving a dark trail along in its wake. Hinata serenyl wiped it off with her sleeve (managing to hide her amused smile)--momentarily distracting the irate kyuubi container.

Quickly, Kakashi began his impromptu meeting--he really didn't feel like having to play referee.

The mismatched-eyed ninja cleared his throat again--this time louder, considering that they had ignored his previous subtle attempt to get their attention.

At once, beryl, lavender, and azure eyes turned towards him.

Sighing in relief at the dissipated anger, Kakashi unconsciously tightened his grip on Sakura before continuing.

"Alright, I know everyone's tired. Luckily, though, we're ahead of schedule. So we'll take two night rest here to recooperate and try to confirm the rumors that Tsunade told us about. Any questions so far?"

"Excuse me, Kakashi-san, but why are we resting for two nights? Wouldn't just resting here tonight be adequate?"

"That's a good question, Hinata-chan. The reason is that we're all dead tired--it may be afternoon right now, but most likely we'll get some food and then sleep until next morning. Then, we can have all day to search for clues and the night following finalize our plans before entering enemy territory."

The lavender-eyed woman blushed, obviously embarassed. "I'm sorry, I didn't think of it that way..."

Good-naturedly, Kakashi crinkled his dark eye. "Don't worry, it was a valid question."

"Hey, Kakashi. I understand what you said to Hinata-chan," the blonde-haired ninja kissed her cheek affectionately, causing her to giggle quietly," but I don't understand why we can't just leave after we plan the second night. I mean, Sasuke-teme could be in trouble--or getting into trouble. Isn't time...what's that phrase?...oh yeah, kinda 'of the essence'?"

This time, it was Sakura who responded.

"Naruto, that would look extremely suspicious, wouldn't it?"

"..."

Hinata, in her soothing voice, further explained--noting the confused look on his face.

Silently, Kakashi wondered when he _wasn't _confused abou something. After all, it had taken almost ten years to realize the reason why Hinata blushed around him. Luckily, once the kyuubi container realized the extent of her feelings, he wasted no time in persuing a relationship with her.

"--if we left at night, then our cover stories would be seen through. That would alert enemy nin to our presence, Naruto-kun."

Naruto's face lit up into a sheepish smile--Kakashi could imagine to metaphoric light bulb clicking on.

"Right, right. I see your point Kakashi! But...er...what was our cover story again?"

The silver-haired man fought the urge to slap his face. He idly wondered how Hinata lived with him everyday.

Quickly, Kakashi grabbed Sakura's wrist, noticing how her hand hovered dangerously over another clump of dirt.

Beryl eyes momentarily glared up at him in retaliation for foiling her plot. Sighing, she let it go--most likely deciding he was right--and opted for leaning her head against his shoulder.

Deciding not to contemplate her confusing reaction (he had expected the medic to hit him), Kakashi patiently began to reiterate the cover story that they had formulated days ago in his apartment.

"Naruto, you are Raku--you are the spoiled son of a wealthy merchant. You hired me, Masa, and Sakura, Rei, to guard you are your girlfriend, Aya. I was once a guard for a diamyo, before I lost my eye. Now I'm working for you has a hired guard. I got this job through, Rei, whom Aya met when she was walking through the market. Upon seeing that Rei was an expert with medicane, she was asked to accompany Aya and her boyfriend. Rei, convinced you and Aya to allow to me, Masa--her devilishly handsome husband (he noted Naruto's snort and Hinata and Sakura's amused giggles)--to guard you. We were supposed to take you to the Snow Country for a vacation--but we became horribly lost after a bad storm."

Regaining his composer, Naruto finally spoke.

"Alright, I get it now."

"Um, Kakashi-san, how are we going to explain why we didn't go back to our home town?"

"Well, we can just say that you found the scenery interesting and enjoyed the idea of an adventure. And, of course, Rei and I couldn't turn down your generous payment, Raku."

"Kakashi?"

Simultaneously, the three ninja turned towards the pink-haired medic.

"Yes, Sakura-chan?"

"Firstly, I think we need to decide on what town we each are from--and what nation. And secondly, should we change into our civilan clothes. I know that we were going to do it earlier, but then all of the rain changed our plans and we decided to travel in the forest, obviating our need for civilan clothes. Should we go ahead and change now, Kakashi?"

She always _was _the perceptive one, he noted.

"We can say that we are all from the same town--we'll call it 'Kazue', it's on the outskirts of the Hidden Village of the Sand. And yes, we need to change into out civilan outfits. I'm the only one who will be allowed to visibly show weapons. Rei, you and Aya must act docile--in this part of Fire, women have few rights. You must let Raku and I take the lead. Aya, you also must act like you are above Rei--you are, after all, more affluent. Raku, remember you are _spoiled. _That means that you cannot eat ramen or ask for any cheap food. Act like everything is for sale."

Naruto cringed. "No, ramen?!?"

Calmly, Hinata soothed his fears by promising that she would make homemade ramen when they came back from the mission.

Slightly mollified, the young ANBU operative nodded glumly.

Quietly, the group disappeared into the thick forest on both sides of the rode in order to change from their ninja gear.

Within a few minutes, the four ninja had regrouped, now clothed in less suspicious attire.

Following Kakashi--now known as Masa--the goup made their way towards the town.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

As the neared the entrance, Sakura quickly picked up her pace until she was even with Kakashi.

"Masa-kun, you still owe me dinner and my two presents."

Smirking in response, Kakashi replied.

"Of course, Rei-chan, you won't be disappointed either."

Naruto and Hintata looked on in confusion as Sakura took her place beside the purple-haired woman.

**Well, at least this one was longer :P I apologise for nothing really happening in this chapter--but I needed to get some information out before the real action and romance could begin. **

**Please review--they give me my motivation to continue writing**


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: I am so, so sorry!!! It's been a month since I last updated--I feel so bad! GAH. Hopefully this chapter will make up for it, though.**

**Dedication: To all my readers--thank you for sticking with this story and my sporadic updates.**

**Disclaimer: If I owned Naruto, Sasuke would love Hanabi. Yay for crack pairings!!!**

**_Summoning_**

**__**

"...I hope that you find these rooms to your expectations, Masashi-san. Fire is much different than Sand, isn't it? When I was your age..." 

Kakashi ignored the aged inn-keeper's ramblings and surreptitiously glanced his teammates. Quietly, he noted that they each had melted into their roles with ease. 

"...you said, you were from 'Kazue', eh? I've never been there, but I've been in Sand before and, meaning no disrespect, but it was quite a dry place..." 

Kakashi nodded vaguely as he surveyed Naruto introduce himself to other guests, making obnoxious remarks about the places he's been and all the things he had the privilege to buy, before launching into an explanation about his family's wealth. Ruefully, Kakashi noted that Naruto was quite good at acting pompous and barely suppressed his chuckle when Naruto swiveled a hand in Aya's direction, beckoning 'his woman' forward. Submissively, Aya appeared at his side, not even batting an eye when her 'boyfriend' referred to her as his property--most likely, the silver-haired nin assumed, that she had learned in the patriarchal Hyuuga household. 

"...you said you were going to Snow? Not even _my _eyesight is that bad. How did you get brought onto the edge of Fire--is your eyesight bad, young man? Although, you can't be that blind, it looks like your right eye is functioning properly. That cut on your eye must be bothersome. My husband, rest his soul, lost an eye in a foresting accident--he ended up wearing a similar eye patch as well..." 

Paying no mind to her incessant chatter, he switched his focus to his cherry-blossom. Underneath his mask, he stole a quick smile at seeing the normally proud woman act so docile--sitting with her hands folded neatly in her lap, with their packs under her surveillance. However, it didn't escape him that her keen eyes were taking furtive glances at their surroundings--taking in the people, the arrangement of the room, and how the staff interacted with each other, no doubt. 

"...ah, I seem to have been running my mouth. I've gotten carried away. Here are your keys, young man. The rooms have an adjoining door just as you wished." 

Shaking his had to clear out the distracting thoughts, the ANBU operative took both keys. Now it was time for _him _to act. 

Walking towards Naruto, he bowed slightly--almost confusing the azure-eyed man. 

"Raku-san, I have secured our rooms." 

Puffing out his chest in a melodramatic manner (he would have to remind Naruto not to over due the acting--too much would undoubtedly cause suspicion to arise), the man responded, "Very well. You and your wife can carry the bags. Aya, come." 

Obediently, Hinata followed. 

Kakashi strode across the room--with a gait that, he hoped, was fitting of a hired guard--to Sakura who meekly waited for the orders from her 'husband'. Kakashi couldn't repress the smirk when he thought of how she was seething underneath. 

Picking up three of the four packs, he muttered a gruff, "Move it!" before following Naruto and Hinata. 

Clutching the last pack, Sakura followed suit. 

Over-exaggerating their steps in an attempt to surprise anyone--for civilians are never as quite or graceful as ninja--the four made their to the second floor. 

The inn was ancient, but when the couples broke off to their corresponding rooms, each was pleasantly surprised at the modern accommodations. 

With a mischievous glint in her eyes, the medic tossed her pack on the bed and, placing her hands on her hips, turned towards the Copy Nin. 

"So, Kakashi-kun, where are my presents?" 

Chuckling at her adorable reactions, the silver-haired ninja opened his mouth-- 

BANG. BANG. BANG. 

Simultaneously, both heads turned towards the loud noise coming from the connecting door. 

Stepping forward, Kakashi undid the deadbolt, allowing the shinobi to enter--Hinata following with a small smile on her pretty face. 

Closing the door behind the couple, Kakashi went and pulled the rolly chair from under the wooden desk. Naruto had already situated himself on couch, with Hinata perched contentedly on his lap--he vaguely noted that Naruto's lap seemed to be her favorite seat--while Sakura was spread out on the bed, propping her head up on her hands. 

"Alright, now we get a couple of days of relaxation. However, while we are out we need to be sure to look for information about Sasuke or the Sound. If possible, try to get the background story of what has been going on in that accursed village these last few months." 

Taking Kakashi's tone as a cue to leave, Naruto pulled his wife towards their room which a comment slung over his shoulder about going to a bar and looking for some food. 

The connecting door closed with an audible click and Kakashi felt warmness pool in his lower regions as he noted the playful look in her eyes. He repressed a disheartened sigh when he realized that thatlook was not _that _look. 

Without any further prompting, Kakashi walked towards his pack and, kneeling down, pulled out an old and battered scroll. 

Noting the confused look on her face, Kakashi smile good-naturedly. 

"This", he said waving the scroll, "is your first present." 

Eagerly, the pink-haired ninja leaped off of their shared bed and quickly sat down cross-legged next to the older ninja. 

With Sakura leaning over his shoulder--he could smell her raspberry shampoo--he rolled out the scroll. 

Beryl eyes widened as she took in the scroll's contents. "Kakashi, this...this is a _summoning _scroll." 

"Yes, dear, how perceptive of you." 

Fighting of the urge to slap him, she continued. "This is _your _family's summoning scroll!" 

"Yes, I believe we've already established that this is in fact a scroll for summoning." 

Deciding to let that last comment slide, the kunoichi shook her head. "Kakashi, how is this my first gift?" 

"I thought you might like to be able to summon Pakkun and the rest of my nin dogs." 

Wiping her tear-blinded eyes, she nodded. 

With her blood, Kakashi added her name to the list on the bottom on the scroll, and performed a few hand-seals that secured her name. Pulling her in front of him in a kneeling position, he placed his warm hands over hers and whispered the instructions in her ear. 

He smirked in satisfaction as she shivered involuntarily from his touch--melting into his arms. 

Together, they preformed the seals and Sakura squealed in delight when they heard a "Pop" and a familiar droopy-eyed pug appeared. 

"Yo." 

**YAY! It's finished. I had a lot of fun writing this chapter Please drop a review and tell me how you felt about the chapter!**


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: Oops. I seem to have taken away to update again...but I do have a reason! I've had so many AP projects to do that involve writing that I've become sick of it. Luckily, I got an extra long weekend so I feel rejuvenated!!!**

**Dedication: To Toasty-chan, for PMing be about getting this done**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing but my love for cliche romances.**

**_Surprise Number 2_**

**__**

With a squeal of joy, Sakura leaped forward to wrap her arms around the small dog. After a few seconds, the emerald-eyed medic pulled back and smiled happily at the curious animal. 

Peering over the pink-haired woman's shoulder, he shot his master a questioning glance. In response, the mismatched-eyed man scratched the back of his head awkwardly. 

Deciding to avoid the drama, Pakkun didn't bother to ask why a person who was not a member of the Hatake clan was permitted to summon him and his comrades. 

Sakura looked at the pair with curiosity--vaguely noting the similarity between their droopy eyes--and opened her mouth to voice her concern. Pakkun, noticing the action decided to interfere. 

"Well, do you need me for anything?" 

The pair shook their heads and the pug resisted the urge to roll his eyes. He opted instead for a smirk and disappeared in puff with an amusing thought, _I can't wait to tell the guys about this--Kakashi, putty in the hands of a small woman..._

Pouting at the dog's disappearance, Sakura looked dejectedly at the floor. Kakashi, shocked by this sudden mood swing, decided it was time to reveal his second gift. 

Walking over to his pack once more, he reached his hand into one of the innermost compartments. Wrapping his gloved hand around the small object, Kakashi removed his arm from the sack and swiftly stuck it behind his back--much to the dismay of the now-excited kunoichi. 

Suppressing a chuckle at the capricious nature of her emotions, he ordered her to close her eyes. Quickly, she obeyed. Taking her left hand into his own, he slipped a ring onto her finger. Gasping at the realization, the twenty-one year old swiftly opened her eyes. 

Glancing down, she realized that she wasn't dreaming. Kakashi _had _placed a ring on her finger--more specifically, the "wedding" finger. 

Creasing his eyes in an attempt to hide his nervousness, he responded instantly to her unspoken question. "This was my mother's ring, passed down from her mother and so on. It isn't a wedding ring, but it will serve as one while on this mission. After it is over, you may keep it, if you wish." 

The emerald-eyed woman blinked her eyes rapidly in order to keep her tears at bay. Finding her voice, she replied. "But Kakashi, this is to valuable, I don't deserve it...I--" 

Kakashi serenely quieted her by placing one finger to her lips. "Sakura, their is no one else who I want to give this to more than you." 

"But Kakashi, this is something for you to give to your wife--" 

Blushing madly, Sakura glanced at the floor. Suddenly, she was hit with a realization. She didn't want him to get married to anyone besides her. Whenever she pictured herself walking down the isle, he was the groom. 

_I don't think I could handle it if he ever married someone else. But, the way he's been acting, I think he intends to marry me. After all, why would he allow me to summon Pakkun and give me a family heirloom if he didn't intend to stay with me forever? This is more than just innocent gift giving--he's professing his love for me and promising himself to me at the very same time..._

The kunoichi was quickly consumed in her own thoughts--and as a result, missed the look of longing that he sent in her direction. His voice shook her from her train of thought. 

"Yes?" 

"You don't have to keep it if--" 

Before Kakashi could finish his sentence, a small hand tugged on his shirt and his masked lips met hers. 

Begrudgingly, they both pulled away for air. Upon realizing the boldness of her move,  
Sakura blushed and bit her lip (an attribute that Kakashi found endearing) but soon forgot all insecurities when she saw the way he was looking at her. 

Silently, he pulled her body to his. 

A crash echoed throughout the inn and Sakura and Kakashi immediately broke apart. Swiftly, they ran towards the noise. 

The pair raced down the hall way but stopped dead when they saw the destruction before them. 

All the windows on the north side of the foyer were broken and beyond that, they could see a red, firery creature. Naruto, it seemed, had lost it. 

Urgently, Kakashi searched his pockets for the seal that suppressed Naruto's chakra as Sakura accosted a civilian. 

To his relief, he quickly found it and summoned the chakra to his feet before racing off to stop Naruto from hurting any innocent civilians. 

As he dashed off, he managed to here a snippet of the conversation between Sakura and the terrified old woman. 

"...and then, while that monster was roaring and those gray-clothed men attacked him with sharp knives, the red-eyed man threw that pretty, lavender-haired girl over his shoulder and disappeared..." 

As he rapidly approached Naruto, he only thought one thing: _Shit!_

**Well, this was my first attempt at an action sequence! Love it? Hate it? Feel like eating cake? Press the pretty blue button and let me know!**


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